Genetic Testing for the Next WC Superstar

Ah crap. Little Johnny is destined to be a squash player.

Ever since the beginning of time (or at least since the dawning of huge athlete paydays), parents have been looking to hitch a ride on their child’s sporting prowess.

If you could somehow determine if your child would be a good athlete or, even better, if there was a specific sport to which your child would be particularly well-suited, that would certainly be useful information.

To that end, scientists (SCIENCE!) had developed testing procedures for the ACTN3 gene, which is thought to be linked to athletic performance following the results of a 2003 study.

Looking to capitalize on an emerging market, Atlas Sports Genetics of Boulder, Colorado offers a $149 DNA test that purports to determine if a child is better suited for speed/power or endurance sports. Using a cotton swab on the inside of the child’s cheek, the company conducts the testing on those between infancy and 8 years of age. After a few weeks the results are returned to the parents with an information packet listing potential sports for which the child is suited.

However, numerous genetics experts have accused Atlas Sports of “peddling snake oil” and providing a useless service. While noting that the ACTN3 gene produces a protein which then produces fast-twitch muscle fibers, these experts are also quick to note that the gene is not capable of determining if a child will become a superstar athlete.

In fact, one of the authors of the original 2003 study has argued that: (1) the gene is just one of many factors influencing athletic performance; and (2) there is no evidence that the genetic testing has more predictive power than existing physical tests for specific talents.

Despite the skepticism of such experts as Dr. Theodore Friedmann (director of the University of California-San Diego Medical Center’s interdepartmental gene therapy program) and Dr. Stephen M. Roth (director of the functional genomics laboratory at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health), parents continue to avail themselves of the tests provided by Atlas Sports in the hopes of finding out if their child is the next Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps. However, even though the test is relatively inexpensive, this seems to be a phenomenon that is more prevalent in more well-off neighborhoods in the United States.

In contrast, overseas this testing has really taken hold in India, where it costs 2000 rupees (~$43), a price that reflects two-thirds of the average monthly wage in that country. Relatively new to the country, having been introduced a mere six weeks ago, commercial testing for the ACTN3 gene has quickly become popular.

Perhaps they’re all hoping their child becomes the next Sunil Chhetri.